Manchester United could reportedly be under pressure to keep Cristiano Ronaldo this summer for a bizarre reason.
According to the Daily Mirror, sponsors of the Red Devils could put the club under pressure to keep Ronaldo for one more year so as to maximise his commercial value.
The Portugal international returned to Man Utd for a second spell last summer, and has made a positive impact at Old Trafford with an impressive 24 goals in all competitions last season.
Still, the team as a whole were very poor, finishing sixth – a big drop from their second-place finish the year before, so there may be legitimate questions about how Ronaldo fits in.
The 37-year-old cannot run as much as he used to, so doesn’t seem an ideal fit for the demanding style of play of new manager Erik ten Hag.
If Ten Hag were to be forced to keep Ronaldo just because of sponsors, that would really sum up the mess that’s been allowed to develop at United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
MEDICAL this week! Man United close in on second summer signing – exclusive